Unstuff Your Life: Kick the Clutter Habit and Completely Organize Your Life for Good

Arguably the most organized man in America, Andrew J. Mellen has created unique, lasting techniques for streamlined living, bringing order out of chaos for a client list that includes attorneys, filmmakers, and even psychologists. With Unstuff Your Life! he puts his powerful program in the hands of his widest audience yet.

Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone

You’ve got a business colleague who’s hostile...a client who’s furious...a staffer who’s deeply cynical—how do you get people to do what you want in tough situations like these? In Just Listen, veteran psychiatrist and business coach Mark Goulston reveals the secret to how to get through to anyone, even when productive communication seems impossible.“Here's the challenge,” Mark says.

Losing your memory? Can't focus or concentrate? Do you have brain fog or tire easily? Have you lost your zest for life or motivation? Do people tell you this is all a normal part of aging? If so, your brain may be growing old too fast, or degenerating. Modern diets, a stressful lifestyle, and environmental toxins all take their toll on the brain. This doesn't just happen to seniors - brain disorders and degeneration are on the rise for young and old alike. The good news is the brain is extremely adaptable and wants to get well.

Influencer: The Power to Change Anything

Everyone wants to be an influencer. We all want to learn how to help ourselves and others change behavior. And yet, in spite of the fact that we routinely attempt to do everything from lose weight to improve quality at work, few of us have more than one or two ideas about how to exert influence. For the first time, Influencer brings together the breakthrough strategies of contemporary influence masters.

You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself

An entertaining illumination of the stupid beliefs that make us feel wise. You believe you are a rational, logical being who sees the world as it really is, but journalist David McRaney is here to tell you that you're as deluded as the rest of us. But that's OK - delusions keep us sane. You Are Not So Smart is a celebration of self-delusion. It's like a psychology class, with all the boring parts taken out, and with no homework. Based on the popular blog of the same name, You Are Not So Smart collects more than 46 of the lies we tell ourselves everyday.

You used to need a big ad budget to get your message across. Not anymore! Thanks primarily to the Internet, a world of free and inexpensive tactics exists for spreading the word about your business. Free Marketing delivers more than one hundred marketing ideas to help small business owners and marketers generate new revenue—with little or no marketing budget.

The TenX Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure

Extreme success, by definition, lies beyond the realm of normal action. If you want to achieve extreme success, you can’t operate like everybody else and settle for mediocrity. You need to remove luck and chance from your business equation, and lock in massive success. The 10X Rule shows you how!

Your toddler throws a tantrum in the middle of a store. Your preschooler refuses to get dressed. Your fifth-grader sulks on the bench instead of playing on the field. Do children conspire to make their parents’ lives endlessly challenging? No - it’s just their developing brain calling the shots! In this pioneering, practical book, Daniel J. Siegel, neuropsychiatrist and author of the best-selling Mindsight, and parenting expert Tina Payne Bryson demystify the meltdowns and aggravation, explaining the new science of how a child’s brain is wired and how it matures.

The 80/10/10 Diet: Balancing Your Health, Your Weight, and Your Life One Luscious Bite at a Time

After more than 5 years of intensive work the definitive guide to the 80/10/10 Diet is here! Get your hands on the latest audiobook by Dr. Douglas Graham, The 80/10/10 Diet: Balancing Your Health, Your Weight, and Your Life One Luscious Bite at a Time. If you have struggled with staying raw, would like to lose weight, or change your life for the better, look no further than this groundbreaking audiobook.

The Nerdist Way: How to Reach the Next Level (In Real Life)

Nerds: Once a tormented subrace of humans... Now captains of industry! You don’t have to be a stereotypical geekwad to appreciate the tenets of Nerdism and to make your innate talents for overanalysis and hyper-self-awareness work for you instead of against you. Join Nerd superstar Chris Hardwick as he offers his fellow “creative-obsessives” the crucial information needed to come out on top in the current Nerd uprising. Success is the most satisfying - and legal - form of vengeance there is. And you can achieve it when you follow the Nerdist Way,

13 Things That Don't Make Sense: The Most Baffling Scientific Mysteries of Our Time

Science starts to get interesting when things don't make sense. Science's best-kept secret is that there are experimental results and reliable data that the most brilliant scientists can neither explain nor dismiss. If history is any precedent, we should look to today's inexplicable results to forecast the future of science. Michael Brooks heads to the scientific frontier to meet 13 modern-day anomalies and discover tomorrow's breakthroughs.

Automate This: How Algorithms Came to Rule Our World

It used to be that to diagnose an illness, interpret legal documents, analyze foreign policy, or write a newspaper article you needed a human being with specific skills - and maybe an advanced degree or two. These days, high-level tasks are increasingly being handled by algorithms that can do precise work not only with speed but also with nuance. These "bots" started with human programming and logic, but now their reach extends beyond what their creators ever expected.

Wizard: The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla: Biography of a Genius

Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), credited as the inspiration for radio, robots, and even radar, has been called the patron saint of modern electricity. Based on original material and previously unavailable documents, this acclaimed book is the definitive biography of the man considered by many to be the founding father of modern electrical technology.

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

In The Body Keeps the Score, Bessel van der Kolk transforms our understanding of traumatic stress, revealing how it literally rearranges the brain’s wiring - specifically areas dedicated to pleasure, engagement, control, and trust. He shows how these areas can be reactivated through innovative treatments including neuro feedback, mindfulness techniques, play, yoga, and other therapies.

The Pixar Touch: The Making of a Company

The Pixar Touch is a lively chronicle of Pixar Animation Studios' history and evolution, and the "fraternity of geeks" who shaped it. With the help of visionary businessman Steve Jobs and animating genius John Lasseter, Pixar has become the gold standard of animated filmmaking, beginning with a short special effects shot made at Lucasfilm in 1982 all the way up through the landmark films Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Wall-E, and others.

The Soil Will Save Us: How Scientists, Farmers, and Ranchers Are Tending the Soil to Reverse Global Warming

In The Soil Will Save Us, journalist and bestselling author Kristin Ohlson makes an elegantly argued, passionate case for "our great green hope"—a way in which we can not only heal the land but also turn atmospheric carbon into beneficial soil carbon—and potentially reverse global warming. Her discoveries and vivid storytelling will revolutionize the way we think about our food, our landscapes, our plants, and our relationship to Earth.

Knitting Yarns: Writers on Knitting

In Knitting Yarns, twenty-seven writers tell stories about how knitting healed, challenged, or helped them to grow. Poignant, funny, and moving, Knitting Yarns is sure to delight knitting enthusiasts and lovers of literature alike.

The God Argument: The Case Against Religion and for Humanism

What are the arguments for and against religion and religious belief - all of them - right across the range of reasons and motives that people have for being religious, and do they stand up to scrutiny? Can there be a clear, full statement of these arguments that once and for all will show what is at stake in this debate? Equally important: what is the alternative to religion as a view of the world and a foundation for morality?

Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Trade

In Junkyard Planet, Adam Minter - veteran journalist and son of an American junkyard owner - travels deeply into a vast, often hidden, multibillion-dollar industry that's transforming our economy and environment. Minter takes us from back-alley Chinese computer recycling operations to high-tech facilities capable of processing a jumbo jet's worth of recyclable trash every day. Along the way, we meet an unforgettable cast of characters.

Eat the Yolks

Worry about cholesterol. Avoid red meat. Eat whole grains. Could it all be a lie? We live in an era of health hype and nutrition propaganda, and we are suffering for it. Decades of avoiding egg yolks, choosing margarine over butter, and replacing the real foods of our ancestors with low-fat, processed, packaged substitutes have left us with an obesity epidemic, ever-rising rates of chronic disease, and, above all, total confusion about what to eat and why.

Dish up the red meat, eggs, and whole milk! In this well-researched and captivating narrative, veteran food writer Nina Teicholz proves how everything we've been told about fat is wrong. For decades, Americans have cut back on red meat and dairy products full of "bad" saturated fats. We obediently complied with nutritional guidelines to eat "heart healthy" fats found in olive oil, fish, and nuts, and followed a Mediterranean diet heavy on fruits, vegetables, and grains. Yet the nation's health has declined. What is going on?

The Education of a Value Investor: My Transformative Quest for Wealth, Wisdom and Enlightenment

What happens when a young Wall Street investment banker spends a small fortune to have lunch with Warren Buffett? He becomes a real value investor. In this fascinating inside story, Guy Spier details his career from Harvard MBA to hedge fund manager. But the path was not so straightforward. Spier reveals his transformation from a Gordon Gekko wannabe, driven by greed, to a sophisticated investor who enjoys success without selling his soul to the highest bidder.

No One Would Listen: A True Financial Thriller

No One Would Listen is the exclusive story of the Harry Markopolos-lead investigation into Bernie Madoff and his $65 billion Ponzi scheme. While a lot has been written about Madoff's scam, few actually know how Markopolos and his team - affectionately called "the Fox Hounds" by Markopolos himself - uncovered what Madoff was doing years before this financial disaster reached its pinnacle. Unfortunately, no one listened, until the damage of the world's largest financial fraud ever was irreversible.

The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business

This is the promise of The Advantage, Patrick Lencioni’s bold manifesto about the most unexploited opportunity in modern business. In his immensely readable and accessible style, Lencioni makes the case that there is no better way to achieve profound improvement in an organization than by attacking the root causes of dysfunction, politics, and confusion.

The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design

The Blind Watchmaker, knowledgably narrated by author Richard Dawkins, is as prescient and timely a book as ever. The watchmaker belongs to the 18th-century theologian William Paley, who argued that just as a watch is too complicated and functional to have sprung into existence by accident, so too must all living things, with their far greater complexity, be purposefully designed. Charles Darwin's brilliant discovery challenged the creationist arguments; but only Richard Dawkins could have written this elegant riposte.

Publisher's Summary

One of the country's most sought-after professional organizers here makes his foolproof rescue plan available for everyone.

Arguably the most organized man in America, Andrew J. Mellen has created unique, lasting techniques for streamlined living, bringing order out of chaos for a client list that includes attorneys, filmmakers, and even psychologists. With Unstuff Your Life! he puts his powerful program in the hands of his widest audience yet. Acknowledging that it's often the "stuff behind the stuff" that holds people back, Mellen offers an action-based plan to redirect clutterers from dwelling on their feelings. This simple shift yields immediate results that will help everyone achieve organizational bliss. Mellen's mix of humor, honesty, tough love, and foolproof strategies will motivates listeners to work through their feelings and make real behavior changes that will have long-lasting effects.

Written in Mellen's signature no-nonsense yet hilarious tone, Unstuff Your Life! brims with personality, along with approaches not found in other organizing books. Built on the principle that we must distinguish ourselves from our possessions, Unstuff Your Life! starts with truly achievable goals and works toward the nightmare projects everyone tries hard to avoid. From the basement to the bedroom, the kitchen to the car, and more, listeners will learn:

Where to find a permanent home for your keys and wallet

How to sort the mail in a manageable and time-effective way

What it means to group "like with like"

How to tackle bills and budget

How to problem-solve with your new skills, and more

The result is absolute freedom from the burden of clutter - and more free time than you ever imagined possible.

Please note: Lists and worksheets mentioned in the audio can be downloaded from http://andrewmellen.com/uyl-downloads/.

What the Critics Say

"Living in chaos? Professional Organizer Mellen has written the book to help.... [T]hose willing to take even a small sip of Mellon's Kool-Aid may enjoy a more organized, efficient, and well-managed life." (Publishers Weekly)

Your purse needs a home. Don't let it follow you around the house from room to room like a lost puppy! - this line made me laugh so hard it was like flipping a switch in my brain. I was always looking for important stuff like keys and wallet and late for work because of it. The humorous imagery Mellen uses to point out the absurdism of living in chaos has helped me understand how my beliefs about stuff were keeping me drowning in it, and then he told me exactly how to deal with all my stuff.

Really enjoyed this book. As I go about simplifying my life, I find myself repeating key phrases such as "like with like" and "the thing is not the person". I even lecture myself on returning things to their designated homes when I get careless.

In a fulsome act of disorganization, I soon discovered that I had already read this book about a year ago, but continued with the audible version anyway, and quickly found that I had overlooked much valuable material during my first go-round. As I am already a fairly well-organized person, I had scanned or skipped whole pages during my first reading, figuring that certain sections did not apply to me. Arrogant fool. During the audible version, I discovered that every chapter contains valuable information.

I lost my husband to cancer 3 years ago and letting go of his belongings has been a difficult process. When I was ready, I donated most of his clothing; then I threw out university papers and essays, etc., the accoutrements of a life that were once significant but not particularly personally valuable. For the smaller yet somehow bigger things, author Mellen's advice helps me as I continue to struggle with memories such as theatre ticket stubs, stacks of photographs, his bedroom slippers, his e-mail address. I'm filing and organizing the treasures, discarding the duplicates or the unlovely photos in which my butt does indeed look big, and handing off special items to his family, who I know will value them. In a truly heartbreaking moment, I was forced to throw out the cards, love notes, and other special paper mementoes that I had temporarily stored in a plastic box. In the basement. Too late came Mellen's warning never to store paper-based valuables in the basement. These precious treasures were coated in black mould when I opened the box, and they could not be salvaged. I can only console myself with Mellen's observation that the thing is not the person.

Mellen's delivery is perfectly suited to the material, and he manages to inject humour into the narrative with a pause here and a little emphasis there. Well done.

Ready to get organized in the shortest possible time with a minimum of fuss? This is the book for you. This is no-nonsense advice from an expert who has worked out practical systems that really work. Andrew J. Mellen's two battle-cries, "A home for everything" and "Like with like," echo throughout the book and every organizing challenge. Anecdotes and stories about real people solving clutter problems help round out the more technical details.

Who was your favorite character and why?

A feature that sets this book apart is that it addresses electronic clutter -- e-mail, phone messages, computer files, etc..

What does Andrew J. Mellen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Mellen's theater background comes through in his narration, and sets it apart from other author-narrated How-Tos. He brings genuine enthusiasm and an expert tone to his subject.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Mellen encourages his listeners to pace themselves through the many stages of organizing their lives. And, he gives helpful support and advice for parting with sentimental items -- a process that often takes time.

Any additional comments?

If you're serious about getting control of your clutter and simplifying your life, this book can really help.

This is easily the most likely to be put into practice. I have already pitched 4 huge garbage cans full of stuff. Terrific progress particularly since the stuff has been sitting on shelves in my office for over 10 years.

Gradually, I came to the realization that I was being controlled by a bunch of old books and magazines. I have not used it in years and in many cases have never opened them. I hung onto them even when I had to rent an extra office to store it all.

I now save $200 per month all from listening to this simple book.

Andrew Mellen gave me permission to unload my stuff, to be free from caring for it and from paying for it over and over through excess "carrying costs".

Where does Unstuff Your Life rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This was one of the best audio books I've listened to.

What did you like best about this story?

Andrew J Mellen causes you to analyze what your problem organizational areas are and gives strategies to prevent you from falling back into old habits. Each chapter takes you into a living space in your home and helps you organize (after getting rid of the stuff) in a way that makes it easy to keep it that way.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Mellen's advice is to read a chapter, and tackle that space before going on to the next chapter. It's exactly what I did and it works.

Any additional comments?

If you've read a lot of books on organization, I think you'll find this one to be one of the most valuable in your library.

Yes, because Andrew describes new ways to make the things you own useful and available. Following his advice makes your home and office more enjoyable, functional places to be without having to spend any money.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The author is the only character and he is quite good. A surprising aspect of the book is the impact it has had on my thoughts about acquiring new things.

What did you learn from Unstuff Your Life that you would use in your daily life?

Everything has a home, one home and following this principal means you never spend time looking for anything.

This is not your typical organization book. And believe me, I've read them all. Even paid an 'organizer' to help me figure out a system for paperwork.ho hum.

I listened through this book to the end, then again as I followed instructions. This in and of itself speaks to the success and uniqueness of the author's approach, cause I can snub my nose at the best instructions out there. (oh there's a "to spite my face" in this sentiment, believe me)

This author is firm in his convictions that everyone can unstuff: anywhere, without too much pain, and in realistic spaces of time. His methods make sense, in that obvious way that relatively intelligent people like me respond to with, "I KNOOOW!!!". (um, so why am I still reading books like this, right?)

Wish I could accurately share why this book worked for me. I'll try...-His explanations about WHY I hold on to things are brief, gentle yet busted through my typical resistance. -He says anyone can learn a new behavior if practiced consistently for 30 days. ("I KNOOOW!!!") But somehow this author makes me believe I can do it. Without a litany of pep talks and flowery sentiment. -"Like w/ Like" and "Everything has a home" is the mantra. That's DO-able and downright sensible! -He 'walks you through' assignments (eg, unstuffing and organizing your kitchen) on the audio.-His filing system alone is worth the price of the book. Soooo much more practical and easier than the system I paid for (and stopped using after a week)

Sure. It serves more as a reference guide than a "read through once". The advice on organizing your file system was very good. I feel like I've finally got a handle on my personal files.

What did you like best about this story?

Good, simple, sound, logical advice.

Have you listened to any of Andrew J. Mellen’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

Any additional comments?

Clearly the author has had some emotional and panicky clients, because he spent a large portion of the book telling the reader to take a deep breath, don't panic, etc. Just a little too much cheerleading for my tastes, but if you ignore that, the information contained within is good.

If you could sum up Unstuff Your Life in three words, what would they be?

Simplify, expel,move on

What was one of the most memorable moments of Unstuff Your Life?

Don't berate yourself

What does Andrew J. Mellen bring to the story that you wouldn???t experience if you just read the book?

This guy is tough, in a nice kind of way. If you have a friend who is OCD they really need to listen to this as they may hate him and then learn to love him. He has a tough narration style, point blank, do it and move on - kind of like a nice army sergeant - yeah right! Anyway, if you really need to get your stuff sorted you will appreciate the tough narration.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

This has not changed my life-I am yet to practice what Andrew has preached, what it has done is given me a starting point and whilst progress is slow to date I can honestly say it is making a difference. If only I was able to commit fully that difference would be huge-Andrew is both practical and informative. You have nothing to lose but your stuff...

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Kathryn

Durham, United Kingdom

7/8/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Great if you need to de clutter your home."

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would feel happy to recommend this to someone who was struggling to tidy and organise their living space.

Would you ever listen to anything by Andrew J. Mellen again?

Possibly, because I enjoyed the way he presented what could have been a dreary topic, but he inspired and entertained me.

What does Andrew J. Mellen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

This is not a story, but he has a jaunty delivery of his own material which is somehow soothing and reassuring. He makes the listener feel that what he is suggesting might actually be possible, and if you listen to sections a few times over, as I did, you begin to internalise some of his phrases so that you can apply them to your lifestyle.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Some parts made me smile. "Your grandfather's hat is not your grandfather."

Any additional comments?

Once you get the general drift you may not need to listen to the whole book. However, Mellen takes you methodically through the whole house so by the end you should have everything neat and tidy! If you have a partner I suggest you get them to listen to it too, otherwise you will be fighting a losing battle against their untidy habits.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Tasneem

HARROW, United Kingdom

7/8/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Loved listening"

What made the experience of listening to Unstuff Your Life the most enjoyable?

Well read at an easy pace. A good book quite unlike others I've read. A good break up and easy to follow guide.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

PPod

PENRYN, United Kingdom

4/16/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Unlistenable"

I'm sure the author has a lot of good things to say, but he speaks so quickly that listening was exhausting.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

Rita

HORSHAM, United Kingdom

3/9/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Inspirational and comprehensive"

What did you like most about Unstuff Your Life?

Well read by the author, his enthusiasm for the cause of de cluttering is infectious. He systematically goes through the whole house/office with instructions. Surprisingly does not feel too holier than thou or preachy, and I have certainly implemented the mail suggestions. The rest will have to wait but unstuffing my life does seem possible even if the task is still daunting.

What was most disappointing about Andrew J. Mellen’s story?

He is American and some suggestions do not travel

What about Andrew J. Mellen’s performance did you like?

His enthusiasm.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No needed to replay some parts and it was not encouraged!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Ken

Leraatsfontein, South Africa

7/17/12

Overall

"Not what I was expecting"

If you like to have endless lists read out to you then buy, else I don’t recommend

2 of 4 people found this review helpful

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